Beyond the Book with Dr. Quarles: “Matthew: A 40-Day Bible Study”

At Southeastern, Quarles serves as research professor of New Testament and biblical theology and also as director of the Caskey Center for Biblical Text and Translation. In the following Q&A, he shares about his love for the Gospel of Matthew and how he hopes readers will benefit from this new devotional.

What is the purpose of this devotional, and who is its target audience?

The series title, “Planted in the Word,” is drawn from Psalm 1 where the person who meditates on and delights in God’s word is compared to a tree planted by streams of water. The flourishing and fruitfulness of the tree depicts the Scripture reader’s growth in godliness. The series, and by extension this devotional, is intended for Christians who desire to understand, meditate on, and apply God’s word.

What are some of the major themes in the book of Matthew, and what role does it play in the canon of Scripture?

The Gospel of Matthew was placed first in the New Testament because it forms the best segue from the Old Testament to the New Testament. One of the most prominent themes of the Gospel is Jesus’s fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures: “Now all this happened in order to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying . . . .” The primary focus of the Gospel is Jesus’s identity as the Immanuel, “God with us,” the one and only Savior of sinners, and the King who is worthy of our reverent submission and total obedience.

What are some key features of Matthew that you were excited to dive deeper into in this study?

Matthew 13:52 describes Matthew as a “kingdom scribe” who has drawn objects new and old from his treasure chest. The “old” treasures refer to the predictions of the prophets and the “new” treasures refer to the aspects of Jesus’s identity and ministry that fulfill these predictions. But I am afraid that most readers of this Gospel are like people treading a well-worn path, unaware of the valuable treasures buried just beneath their feet. Most have read at least portions of Matthew and assume that they “get” this Gospel. They think: “Jesus did this and said that. Not much to see here. So let’s move on to the Gospel of John or the letters of Paul to find deep theology.” I am convinced that Matthew has much more to teach than the average Christian realizes. When we begin to dig beneath the surface, we will be stunned and amazed by the precious treasures that we discover.

I am afraid that most readers of this Gospel are like people treading a well-worn path, unaware of the valuable treasures buried just beneath their feet.

What has surprised you most as you have written about and grown more familiar with this book of the Bible?

I am constantly amazed by how rich and beautiful the Gospel of Matthew is. I have focused my study on the Gospel of Matthew for the last two decades. I have preached through Matthew for years and now written seven books on this Gospel (with still another in the works). Yet every time I crack open this Gospel, I discover something new and exciting. I recognize this as evidence of the divine inspiration of this Gospel. No mere human book could ever be so rich.

I would challenge those who think that Matthew has nothing new to teach them to just read the first day’s devotional in “Matthew: A 40-Day Bible Study.” I believe that they will see that even the first verse of this Gospel has life-changing truths that they have previously overlooked.

How does this devotional uniquely meet the needs of God’s Church today?

These devotionals are designed to meet the needs of serious Bible readers who are frustrated by both the superficiality of many devotional works and the dryness of many biblical commentaries. Mature believers are disappointed by devotional works that are “all fluff and no stuff,” that are superficial, sappy, and sentimental but do not enrich their knowledge of Scripture. They are also discouraged by commentaries that treat the biblical text in a way that engages the mind but not the heart, i.e. mere academic discourses that are dull and boring. This series seeks to deepen readers’ understanding of Scripture and their devotion to Christ. The goal here is to provide daily devotionals that are both instructional and inspirational. I am grateful to my friend and colleague Dr. Ben Merkle for conceiving this series. I think that it addresses a huge need in the church.

These devotionals are designed to meet the needs of serious Bible readers who are frustrated by both the superficiality of many devotional works and the dryness of many biblical commentaries.

How would you encourage a reader to approach this devotional? Is there anything they should keep an eye out for in their day-to-day readings?

One of the goals of the series is to guide the reader to “reflect on Christ.” That is especially important in the Gospel of Matthew. This Gospel is primarily about the Lord Jesus, from beginning to end. Every passage in this Gospel prompts us to contemplate Jesus’s deity, glory, majesty, authority, power, and saving mercy. The devotionals will highlight important themes in Matthew such as Jesus’s identity as the new and better Abraham, Moses, and David and as the Creator who performs the miracle of new creation. At the end of each day’s study, the reader should ask, “What does this passage teach me about Jesus?” and “what response does that require?”

How has God particularly challenged or encouraged you throughout the process of writing this book?

Two of the great themes of the Gospel of Matthew are 1) recognition of Jesus’s deity, glory, and majesty should move us to worship him and 2) recognition of Jesus’s unrivaled authority should motivate us to obey him. The Gospel of Matthew describes people worshipping Jesus more frequently than any other New Testament book. From the worship of the infant Christ by the magi from the East to the worship of the resurrected Lord by the Eleven in the final chapter of the Gospel, the worship of Jesus permeates this book. My study of the Gospel constantly confirms that Jesus is worthy of all my worship and moves me to grant him my deepest devotion every single day. The emphasis on Jesus’s identity as the Messianic King reminds us that the duty and privilege of the disciple is “to obey everything that [Jesus] commanded” (Matt 28:20). I recognize that my so-called worship of Jesus is empty emotionalism if it is not accompanied by a desire to obey Christ’s commandments in the Sermon on the Mount or his Great Commission. Matthew’s Gospel inspires me to worship Jesus and challenges me to obey Jesus.